CAT JAHNKE (Yong-Kee)
150,000 kilometres of highways and boulevards…
A thousand stories to tell of what she’s seen...
It’s unlikely there are many people as intimately familiar with the inside of a KIA hatchback as Cat Jahnke. With her trusty guitar in hand, this singer-songwriter and die-hard prairie girl has racked up an impressive record, having performed over 300 shows across Canada in only a few short years.
Cat's latest full-length album, "The Stories Are Taking Their Toll”, contains 13 songs which range from quirky pop tunes to folk rock rants, all highlighting Cat’s incomparable vocal quality, her multi-instrumentalist skills, and her signature tongue-in-cheek storytelling. Cat was nominated for "Contemporary Singer of the Year" at the 2011 Canadian Folk Music Awards for her performances on this latest release. Standouts on the new album include “Apple,” chosen as the theme song for the hit NBC webseries “Ctrl,” and "You Do Me Wrong,” which won “Best Original Score” at the 168 Hour Film Festival in Los Angeles, CA. The songs "Solomon Says" and "Sweetie Pie" also made it to the semi-finals of the 2010 International Songwriting Competition.
"The Stories Are Taking Their Toll" follows the success of Cat’s 2006 release, “None of Those Things,” a breakout performance that earned her songwriting accolades from numerous international competitions, two featured slots in the revolutionary European video game system, “iDance,” as well as greater exposure on the Canadian media scene, including extensive airplay on CBC Radio and a featured song spot on the CTV hit television series “Degrassi: The New Generation.”
In the past few years Cat and her songwriting prowess have been in demand on a variety of projects. Working in partnership with various producers in Hollywood, Cat has scored several short films, penned and produced made-to-order pop tunes for movie trailers, and composed the theme song and all related music for the first ever standalone webseries created by a major television network (NBC's "Ctrl” starring Tony Hale).
All this, in addition to her demanding touring schedule, has further honed Cat’s songwriting craft and musical abilities, and with one listen of her new album, it shows. Though it may be true that for Cat “The Stories are Taking Their Toll,” the rest of us can sit back and simply enjoy the ride.
ACCOLADES:
NOMINATED: 2011 "Contemporary Singer of the Year" - CFMAs (Canadian Folk Music Awards)
SEMI-FINALIST: 2010 International Songwriting Competition for the song “Solomon Says”
SEMI-FINALIST: 2010 International Songwriting Competition for the song “Sweetie Pie”
FINALIST: 2006 John Lennon Songwriting Competition (Session II) for the song “None Of Those Things”
SEMI-FINALIST: 2006 International Songwriting Competition for the song “Wide Open”
WINNER: 2006 168 Hour Film Festival - Hollywood, CA - "Best Original Score" for the film "Free Of Charge" - Directed by Robert Kirbyson
FINALIST: 2005 International Songwriting Competition for the song “None Of Those Things”
NOMINATED: 2005 168 Hour Film Festival - Hollywood, CA - "Best Original Score" for the film "Pieces" - Directed by Robert Kirbyson
SCORE COMPOSER:
2009: "CTRL" (NBC Web-series: Season 01 / 10 Episodes) Starring Tony Hale (Arrested Development), Emy Coligado (Malcolm in the Middle) and Steve Howey (Reba)
2009: "Fermata" Starring Edsson Morales and Maia Kaufhold
2008: "Nobody Special" Starring Rob LaBelle (First Wave, DaVinci's Inquest) and James Kirk (X-Men 2, She's The Man)
2007: "Unlocked" Starring Andy Ostroff and Katharine Everett
2007: "CTRL Z" Starring Tony Hale (Arrested Development), Emy Coligado (Malcolm in the Middle) and Zachary Levi (Chuck, Less Than Perfect)
2006: "Free Of Charge" Starring Marieke Douridas and Haynes Brook
2005: "Pieces" Starring David Storrs (Scare Tactics, Hi-Jinks), Lola Corwin (Temptation Island) and Sean Gavigan
QUOTES:
KERÄN SANDERS • CBC Radio: The Weekend Morning Show
"The jewel in the crown of all the Manitoba singer/songwriters"
MARTA ALPHONSO • Swerve Magazine
"With vocals as rich as triple-chocolate mousse, Jahnke presents a beautiful sound, and a beautiful look into her intricate life."
JEFF ROBSON • UMFM Radio
"She's got a poet's way with words, a heart that isn't afraid to be exposed, and an inner rock child that somehow makes even her darker songs upbeat and fun to listen to."
ROBERT KIRBYSON • Hollywood Director
"Having worked with many different composers on various film and television projects, I've found Cat Jahnke to be the most inspired, committed, and enthusiastic collaborator. Cat is a joy to work with and I hope she can score all my future projects”
BROOSE TULLOCH • Radio host (CKUW - Beer For Breakfast) & Magazine Contributor (Stylus Magazine)
"The songs are well-crafted and sincere, and the subtle harmony vocals ice the cake, but that voice... oh that voice...so pretty it's heartbreaking."